"What then shall we do?"

This morning I was reflecting upon the passage from last night's sermon (Luke 3)- it was a very interesting passage about how John the Baptist was preparing the way for Jesus to come.  He preaches repentance, but when people came to hear him and to be baptized, he did not simply accept their lip service and their outward form of half-obedience.   Rather, he saw that they were only partially committed to what he spoke of: They liked the talk about a coming King, a Messiah.  They like the idea of being forgiven of their sins.  They even put up with John's abrasive manner and harsh moral guidelines in order to find this foretold "salvation of God" (vs. 6).  However, were they really willing to pay the price of giving up all for this new lifestyle?  Were they ready to give up themselves and their tradition and their culture and their expectations to receive true salvation from these entangling things?  

In 3:8-11, John exhorts the people to go deeper,  saying 

"Bear fruits in keeping with repentance.  And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able  from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.  Even now the axe is laid  to the root of the trees.  Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  An the crowds asked him, 'What then shall we do?'  And he answered them, 'Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.' "

As I read these words,  I am convicted of how similar I am to those in John the Baptist's audience.  I realize that I, too, so often want to be saved, want to be forgiven, and want to be a part of what Jesus is doing, but I don't want to have to give anything.  I don't want to change my way of living, or sacrifice my time or schedule or comforts.  And yet this is what we are called to do, if we consider ourselves to have any part with Jesus and what he did.  

Lord, help us to bear fruits in keeping with repentance and to continue to ask of you, "What then shall we do?"